Let Down Your Hair

H & P Architecture know that when it comes to hair salons, aesthetic is key. No one wants to have their hair styled in a place that doesn’t look appealing. With this in mind, they have created the beautiful and unusual Mành Mành salon in the buzzing Van Quan area in Hanoi.

As was apparent from their ‘agritecture’ terraced project we took a look at last year, central to the ethos of H & P Architecture is the idea of sustainability and consideration of the environment. The 85 square metre salon project took two months to complete from the initial sketches, and is composed of reused materials such as glass, brick and low-quality wood. The result has a fresh and unusual feel, which is more in harmony with the surrounding nature than its predecessor.

A highlight of the project is the 200,000 wooden beads, recycled again from low-quality wood. These beads are chained together into strings of various lengths, to give the sense of human hair. The salon works to awaken all the senses, in a bid to make the customers feel more at one with nature.

We spoke to Doan Thanh Hah, H&P co-founder, about the salon and the responsibilities that come with urban planning.

The Plus: Could you tell us a bit about how this idea came about? Doan Thanh Ha: The inspiration came from the ordinary and simple beauty of the small hairdressers on a street lined with trees casting their wide shade, and with old brick walls as the backdrop, which is commonly found in Hanoi.

TP: What, if any, were the particular challenges of working on this salon? DTH: The hand-made celling system of wooden beads required quite a lot of participation from the students of nearby universities and colleges. Sourcing help from locals is part of our team’s sustainable‎ ethos, and we will continue to do this in future.

TP: What made you want to do this project? DTH: The initiative to awaken users’ senses by driving them towards a zone of openness and friendliness; this really helped to propel the project.

TP: How important is it to you to adapt your ideas to the space and function of a place? DTH: We take the approach that it is the idea that shapes space and function, not the other way round.

TP: What part of this project are you most proud of, and why? DTH: Old materials and equipment have been reused to create the intended space quite effectively.

TP: What materials did you use, and why? DTH: Low-quality wood, glass doors, tables, chairs, and uncoated bricks have all been reused for this project, thereby helping to improve public awareness of environmental protection in a healthy manner.

TP: What lies ahead for you? DTH: Recycle more waste materials for projects, and work on projects with a greater variety of functions and on a larger scale.